Automatic headlamp control.



M'.'L. GORDON.

AUTOMATIC HEADLAMP CQNTROL.

APPLICATION FILED D1106. 1913.

Patented Nov. 17, 1914.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

M. L. GORDON.

AUTOMATIC HBADLAMP CONTROL.

APPLICATION FILED DEG 6.1 913.

Patented Nov. 1?, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

DALLAS,

PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC HEADLAMP CONTROL.

Application filed December 6, 1913.

To all whomit 722 (1g COTACQTR i lQIO n that l, Editions? L. Gonoon', acitizen of the United States. residing at Dallos, in the county ofLuzerne and Stateof cnnsylmnia. have invented new and us;- ulimprovements in Automatic Headlamp nt ols. of which the following is a.specisome as to \luectthe rays 1. l 1mm the lamps moo. a roadway whichis t mschsno.

A special object of the present invention is to provide moons of thecharnctor above specified which will snnolo the dillcrcnt ports of thedsvicc to be readily applied to outomohilss already in u ll y U to equipthe much thi factor: with the he. 32111) contro it is also an object ofthis iuvcntion to so construct= t 9 several parts of the mechanism as toadapt than to no s'onliod to the icspeolive elemc nls of the automobileor other machine without the use of bolls and similar fastening devicesand also without the use of special tools. except such bolts as may herequired to fasten the bracket or arm of the housing member to the car,and the urn: holder to the cross steering rod.

A still further ohjectof the invention is to .f. simple means wherebythe lamps may be disconnected from the steering gear of the machineduring tho day time or at. v other time desired so that the lamps will1' main stationary and the opcrating mechanism rclicvod of unnecessarywear during the periods when the lamp turning; mechanism ot required.

llith the shove and other objects in View, the invention consists'in thenovel construc tion. combination and arrangement of ports, as Willhereinafter he more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying clra Fig-urn l is a view partly in side elevation itunneccssar" and pnrlly in scction of a sufiicient portion of anautomobile or like machina to illus- Specification of Letters Patent.

cu rrled Patented Nov. 17, 1914.

Serial Ho. 305,082.

of the ziutonmtic head lamp control thereto. Fig. 2 is a. plan View ofthe some. Fig. 3 is a detail peispcctive View of ;1 portion of oneof'the lump turning shafts, showing the slotted head at the lowerextremity th reof. Fig.4 is :1 detail perspective VlEW of one. of thelump turning arms. 5 a similar View of one of the. arm holders. Fig. 6is a detail perspective View of the locking Spl'll'lg used inconjunction with the lamp turning arm and its holder. Fig. l is :1 topplan view showing the lamp turning arm and holder locked together. Fig.8 is :1 vertical longitudinal section through tho ports illustrated inFig. 7. Fig. is an enlarged dctuil longitudirml section through one ofthe links which connect the lump turning min with the lump turning Fig.is a longitudinal oction through one oi the links taken at Fig t an-Fig. l) on u reduced scale. Fig. 11 is a etail psi pe'ct'ive view of thespring catch by the link. Fig. 12 is a detail verl'icul sectionillustrating the connection betrote the application tween the link andthe lieu-(l lmnp, including ti awning bracket for the lamp shaft. Fig.

'do'wz'm'arclly extending post 6 formed with o. central longitudinalbore 7 forming a socket for the reception of the upper end of z lumpturning shaft 7 which extends vorticnlly through the hearing 8 of abracket 9. secured to tho fume or chassis of the ma chine or to one ofthe springs or any other convenient port oi tho machine. The. bracket 09 in: v extend "fro i any side or part of the licnringz for mntcnicntull'uohment to the car.

At its lower cud each lamp turning shaft 7 is provided with an enlargedhead 10 5 which is slotted in the bottom thereof as shown at 11 andprovided with parallel cars 12 the purpose of which will appear. Themeeting fncssmf the bearing 8, tho lamp post 6 and the onlnrgcd head 10are formed 1 0 with ball aces 13 lo receive two circular serios ofcull-friction balls 14 and .15 as shown 'in Fig. 12 enabling the lampsto turn freely with-a minimum amount of friction. 16 designates a keyshown in the form of a screw which is inserted through the lamp post 6and the shaft 7 to lock said parts together and cause them to rotateequally.

Secured to the connecting rod l are two lamp turning arms eachdesignated generally by the reference character A, one of said armsbeing illustrated in detail in Fig. 4 wherein it will be observed thateach arm comprises an upwardly extending portion The laterally extendingsubstantially horizontal portion 18 and a forwardly extending terminalportion 19 at the extremity of which is a ball 20 forming-- one memberof a ball and socket joint hereinafter referred to. Each arm A isprovided with an enlarged and substantially rectangular base 21 formedin its upper side with a diamond-shaped recess 22 with an opening 23 atone end of the base 21 to allow foreign matter to be easily removed fromthe same whenever necessary.

Arranged in the recess 22 is a locking spring comprising diverging arms2% which terminate "at their free extremities in upturned lockingfingers 2-". At the junction of the arms 25%,other downwardly divergingfingers 2.6 are provided. The purpose of the fingers 25 and 26 willhereinafter appear.

In connection with each arm A I. employ an arm holder which isillustrated in detail in Fig. 5 wherein it will be observed that saidholder comprises a base or bottom '27 and upturned flanges 2S,the topedges of which are extended inwardly to form base retaining flanges 29.The space between the flanges 2S and the base 27 and the other flanges29 is just sui'iicient to enable the base 21 to be inserted therein andremoved therefrom and the flanges 29 are formed with oppositely locatednotches 30 adapted to receive the fingers of the locking spring when theparts are brought together in the relation illustrated in Figs. 7 and S.The base 21 is formed with an undercut or dovetailed socket 31 toreceive the fingers 26.

said fingers 26 beingfirst pressed tightly together and being theninserted in the nar,-'

row upper end of the dove-tailed socket 81, whereupon by pushing thelocking spring downwardly, the fingers 26 spread into engagement withthe undercut walls of the socket 31. This serves to hold the spring inits proper position and relation to the base 21 as shown in Fig. l. Thenwhen the base 21 is slid into the holder shown in Fig. 5, the fingers 25of the arms 2i snap outwardly into engagement with the notches 30.Therenpon, the arm Ais locked to its holder.

The holder is also provided with downwardly extending supporting legs 32formed with outwardly projecting semi-circular flanges 33 adapted toembrace the upper nurses half of the connecting rod 4. U-shaped.

clips 34- are then passed around the flanges 33 and the ends thereofinserted through the washer plates 35 and secured by nuts 36 threaded onthe ends of the clips. Each holder is thus secured iii-fixed relation tothe connecting rod 4 and the arms A are fixedly connected bytheirrespectiveholders. The arms A therefore move with the connectingrod l.

Y interposed between the lamp turning arms A. and the slotted heads 19of the lamp turning shaft"? are links one of which is illustrated indetail in Figs. 9 and 10 wherein it will be observed that each linkcomprises a substantially straight 'member B and a jointed section C ofelbow shape which is pivotally connected at 37 to the straight sectionB. The section B of the linkcomprises a main body 38. 'anda pivotedsection 39 which is mounted in a recess 40 in the section 8.8 andprovided with a shoulder ll which limits the pivotal movement of thesmaller section 3 At one. end the link B is provided witlra ball-socket4-2 which is split (ii-centrally divided along the line 453, one-half ofthe socket l2 being integral with the main bo y of the link B. while theother half of the balhsocket is integral with and carried by the smallerpivoted section 1- of the link. This enables the ball-socket :2 to beopened up to receive the ball '20 of the respective lamp turning arm Aand after the ball and socket members of the joint have been combined intheir proper relation, a slide ring ll is moved longi' tudinally of thelink to the position shown in Fig. 10 where it retained and held againstsliding movement by spring catch shown in Fig. 10 and illustrated indetail in Fig. 11.

The spring catch referred to comprises a pair of diverging arms l5 thefree ends of which are bent back upon themselves to form laterallyprojecting thumb'pieces l6 each in the form of a loop. at thesame timeproviding broad shoulders l? which are adapted to bear against the slidering in the manner illustrated in Fig. 10. The

spring catch referred to is arranged in a.

recess formed jointly in the link sections 38 and 39 as illustrated inFigs; and 10 and to prevent the arms d5 from springing outwardly toofar. said arms are formed with oppositely projecting stop lugs d8 whichwork in limiting grooves 49 as indicated in Figs. 9 and 10.

The section C- of elbow shape is pivotally' mounted at 50 in the slot ofthe head 10 as illustrated in Figs. and 12, the pivots 37 and 50 bothextend horizontally and thereby ac commodate the up and down movementsof the lamps which are ordinarily supported by-the springs or body asindicated in Fig. 1 while the connecting rod 4 is carried by the runninggear and not subjectedto the up and down movements of the body. Theparticular-form of links B and C hereinabove described allows for thisup and down movement of the lamps while at the same time maintaining allof the parts of the lamp turning mechanism in operative condition andrelation to each other.

During the day time or at other intervals when the lamp turningmechanism is not required, and in order to save wear andtear on theworking parts thereof, the links may be disconnected from the lampturning arms by pressing the thumb pieces 46 toward each other so as torelease the slide ring 44. This ring is then moved to the opposite endof the link as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1 and the section B ofthe link is swung upwardly to a substantially vertical position asindicated by dotted lines in the same ligure where it occupies aposition between the ears 12 on the slotted head 11 and the ears 51inFig. 12. The arms of the spring catch carried by the link then springoutwardly into engagementwith the ears 51 at 52 in Fig. 12 and therebylock the link in such vertical position. The lamp turning mechanism mayagain be easily restored to operative position by reversing theoperation last described.

The means for supporting the member B when folded into an uprightposition as indica ted by dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 12 comprises aslotted holder 51 or, in other words, a pair of parallel ears extendingbackwardly from the bearing 8 as best illustrated in Figs. 12 and 13,the link B being received in vertical position between said ears and thethumb pieces 46 of the spring arms entering the slots 52 in said earsand projecting through said slots 52 thereby enabling them to be forcedout of engagement with said slots by finger pressure when it is desiredto again connect the links B with the arms 17.

What 1 claim is:

1. In a headlamp control, the combination of a lamp bracket, parallelears extending rearward from said bracket, a vertical lamp shalt mountedto turn in said bracket, parallel ears extending rearwardly from saidshaft, a lamp turning arm carried by and bearing a fixed relation to theconnecting rod of the steering gear, and a jointed link attached at oneend to said lamp turning arm and having its other end held by ahorizontal pivot between said ears on the shaft and adapted to be swungupwardly to lie between the ears on the bracket.

2. In a headlamp control, the combination of a lamp bracket, parallelears extending rearward from said bracket, a vertical lamp shaft mountedto turn in said bracket, parallel ears extending rearwardly from saidshaft, a lamp turning arm carried by and bearing a fixed relation to theconnecting rod of the steering gear, a jointed link attached at one endof said lamp turning arm and having its other end held by a horizontalpivot between said ears on the shaft and adapted to be swung upwardly tolie between the ears on the bracket, and means for retaining said linkin the last named position.

3. In a headlamp control, the combination of a lamp bracket, a verticallamp shaft mounted to turn in said bracket, parallel ears extendingrearwardly from said shaft, a lamp turning arm carried by and bearing afixed relation to the connecting rod of the steering gear, and a jointedlink attached. at one end to said lamp turning arm and having its otherend held between said ears on a horizontal pivot, said link consistingof aplurality of sections pivotally connected together, the sectionthereof which is connected to the shaft being substantially of elbowshape.

l. The combination of a lamp shaft adapt ed to turn on a vertical axis,a lamp-turning arm operable by the connecting rod of the steering gear,said arm being provided with a ball at its outer extremity, a linkconnecting said arm and lamp shaft and embodying a sectional ball socketat one end to receive said ball, a'lamp bracket in which. said lamp isjournaled, parallel ears on said bracket, and means on said link forholding and releasing the sections of said ball socket and for lockingsaid link between the ears on said bracket.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MURRAY L. GORDON.

Witnesses 7M. BAGGER, BENNETT S. Jonas.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 0.

